1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus an image forming method and a computer readable recording medium storing an image forming program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an image forming apparatus having a mode program function has been used. According to the mode program function, an operating condition is set to each of the processes constituting a job performed by an image processing apparatus for each kind of job. The operating condition is retained in the image forming apparatus so that the image forming apparatus performs a job in accordance with the retained operating condition.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2006-67328 (Patent Document 1) discloses an image processing apparatus that permits a reliable operation of a macro containing an event synchronous to a user operation and an event asynchronous to the user operation. In order to achieve such a reliable operation of a macro, the image processing apparatus is provided with a recording means that sequentially records procedures of an operation performed by an operator and a recording means that records a status according to an event generated asynchronously. It should be noted that the macro function recited in the Patent Document 1 corresponds to the above-mentioned mode program function.
Additionally, Japanese Patent Publication No. 3679349 (Patent Document 2) discloses an image forming apparatus provided with applications each corresponding to each of a plurality of processes constituting a job performed by the image forming apparatus and a control program used through the applications in common. According to the image forming apparatus disclosed in the Patent Document 2, the applications can be expanded and changed easily.
However, when applying the macro function disclosed in the Patent Document 1 to the image forming apparatus disclosed in the Patent Document 2, the operating condition set by the mode program function must be retained for each application. Thus, it is considered to provide a memory means to retain the operating condition so as to use the memory means from each application in common. However, such a scheme requires a process using an interface to access the memory means, which is shared by the applications, for each application.
According to the above-mentioned scheme, each application must carry out a process corresponding to the mode program function. Thus, when a different application is mounted to each image forming apparatus, a part for performing the process of the mode program function must be changed for each image forming apparatus.